South Windsor Council Hears Proposal To Ban Tobacco Sales At Pharmacies

Ban Would Only Apply To Local CVS Pharmacy

SOUTH WINDSOR — — A proposal to ban the sale of tobacco products at pharmacies in town produced a lively exchange by town council members Monday night.

Council member M. Saud Anwar, a lung doctor, proposed the ban, saying that displaying cigarettes in the same place where medicine is sold to promote health sends conflicting messages to children.

He argued that the town has the opportunity to be at the forefront of adopting new, healthier attitudes and likened his idea to a movement in the past that soured the public's acceptance of cigarette vending machines.

"We need to rebrand our town as open for responsible business," he said, adding that local governments can and should be socially responsible.

The ban would only affect one business in town — CVS Pharmacy — because it is the only one that meets the requirement of a being a pharmacy. The ban would not cover convenience stores, gas stations or other locations where tobacco is sold. Anwar conceded that the ban would not, however, affect the largest source of tobacco sales in town, Stop & Shop, which shares a parking lot with CVS.

Some council members acknowledged that while Anwar's intent was honorable, some disagreed with the view that government should regulate consumer choices.

Mayor Thomas Delnicki, in his criticism, referred to health regulations in New York City, including a recent initiative by the city's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, to ban the sale of large sugary drinks at restaurants and theaters.

"What has happened to personal responsibility?" he asked. "I have a feeling that Michael Bloomberg in New York City started down this way. I heard the statement, 'first step... incremental.' Where does it lead to?"

Council member Keith Yagaloff agreed with Anwar and said he was persuaded by talking with employees of a CVS in Massachusetts that has stopped selling cigarettes.

Some council members said that they would be in favor of a townwide ban on tobacco products.

Residents who spoke said they believed that the council was wrong to pursue the issue and directed the council instead to work on public safety and maintenance problems.

As of late Monday, the council had not taken any action on Anwar's proposal.

Republican Town Committee Chairwoman Kathleen Daugherty challenged Anwar to team up with her to develop programming to talk to schoolchildren about the risks of smoking.

"We will talk to those middle-schoolers before they put the first cigarette in their mouths," she said. "That's how you're going to make a change."